US Senior Researcher at More in Common US

US Senior Researcher: https://moreincommon.applytojob.com/apply/6xW6EZHEap/US-Senior-Researcher

LOCATION: Position can be remote / Headquarters is in New York City 

More in Common US’s team is seeking a full-time Senior Researcher to help advance its mission of building a more united America, where all people feel respected and better understood, and where they share a sense of belonging. The Senior Researcher will work closely with the US Director and Global Research Director to design, execute, analyze and present the public opinion research that will inform our strategy and broaden our impact. The Senior Researcher will collaborate on all major qualitative and quantitative research projects, engaging as a thought partner in developing studies about the American public, political polarization, democracy, and the solutions that can address our growing divisions.  

More in Common has its main office in New York City; however, the Senior Researcher can work remotely (with expected work hours of 9am-6pm EST), with regular travel to the New York and Washington DC areas. The Senior Researcher reports to the US Director.   

ABOUT MORE IN COMMON US 

More in Common US is a research and civic non-profit that is part of a new international initiative, set up in 2017 to build communities and societies that are stronger, more united and more resilient to increasing threats of polarization and social division. We work alongside of national teams in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.  

We conduct research into populations through the lens of identity, values, and beliefs. We leverage our findings to apply interventions with partners to strengthen democracy, counter polarization and build stronger shared identities across lines of difference. Our website is here and you can see coverage of our US research here.  

Some examples of our work include partnering with a broad and diverse network of civil society actors to bolster Americans’ confidence in the resilience of our elections; advising philanthropic actors on how to best support efforts to strengthen social cohesion; and training civil society actors on methods for communicating across ideological lines in ways that reduce polarization and foster a shared sense of identity.  

Our work has taught us one thing for certain: our team will be our greatest asset. We are looking for people who:  

  • Are strategic, rigorous, restless, energetic and creative 

  • Have direct experience with and understand people from different perspectives and backgrounds 

  • Feel comfortable using data to examine and better understand conservative, liberal, and other perspectives 

  • Are excited to do work that is non-partisan  

  • Are able to think ahead 

  • Are able to get big stuff done 

  • Are excited to work with heart as well as head 

  • Want to be part of turning despair into hope 

DIVERSITY + EQUITY + INCLUSION 

The task ahead of us is daunting but we have a better chance at success if our team reflects a broad range of social and cultural backgrounds, beliefs, political persuasions and life experiences. We value diversity across many dimensions, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, age, religious belief, military service, geography, and political orientation. 

ABOUT THIS ROLE  

More in Common US is looking for a Senior Researcher, a mission-driven individual who is excited to develop creative and rigorous methods of understanding the drivers of polarization and division in our country and to identify forces that can bring Americans together. This role is for someone: 

  • With significant experience designing and overseeing rigorous quantitative and qualitative research from start to finish 

  • With interest in all aspects of public opinion research: design, execution, analysis, visualization, writing, and presentation 

  • With passion for harnessing rigorous research to lead impactful efforts, including direct partner support, on issues of identity, belonging, democracy, and culture 

  • With interest in writing for national publications and harnessing other means of thought leadership to help the nation grapple more meaningfully with complex, polarizing, and sensitive issues  

  • With confidence to manage and develop a robust research team that can deliver cutting-edge research that encompasses a wide spectrum from rapid response support for partners to multi-year research projects examining some of the most critical issues of our time 

  • Comfortable working collaboratively and at a fast pace 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

The Senior Researcher will serve as an integrated member of the US team, with the chief responsibility of coordinating with the US Director to develop and oversee More in Common’s research strategy and operations.  

More in Common’s US team is advancing several projects to explore themes and questions such as: 

  • How strengthening a shared, superordinate American identity can be harnessed to build collaborative and healthy norms across lines of race, gender, party, generation, and ideology.  

  • How the ‘politically disengaged’ can be more effectively drawn into healthy social engagement and political participation in the United States 

  • How do we better design civil society organizations and civic spaces to strengthen democratic culture in a diverse, hyper-connected, inclusive, and pluralistic society?  

  • How do we engage broad cross-sections of the American public in ways that foster stronger support for democratic norms and institutions while at the same time creating momentum to improve those same institutions to deliver a society that best reflects our shared values? 

  • What new research methods and approaches are needed to elevate more complex, nuanced, and accurate profiles of the diverse American population, in ways that empower actors looking to build community and common ground?  

The Senior Researcher will have responsibility for shaping and overseeing the research strategy to support these and other projects and for advancing More in Common’s mission more broadly. The Senior Researcher will most often review and guide specific research efforts, while at times directly building and executing research activities, analyses, and outputs. The Senior Researcher will also have responsibility for managing the growth of More in Common’s academic and intellectual presence, working with our research team and external partners to build enduring partnerships, publish research, and execute thought leadership in both academic and civil society spaces. As a senior leader in More in Common, the Senior Researcher will have responsibility for presenting our research and articulating our methodology and research strategy to a range of internal and external audiences.  

There are no off-the-shelf solutions for the challenges of polarization and division in the US, so the Senior Researcher will need to feel comfortable hypothesizing about how insights from our research and related research might help shape initiatives that advance our mission and support our partners.  

Research Development and Execution  

  • Work directly with the US Director, the Global Director of Research, and the research team to execute research, including:  

  • Expanding upon our existing research architecture to help ensure our work consistently contributes to growing our understanding of the challenges we face, the potential solutions, and other relevant variables; 

  • Overseeing project research plans, timelines, budgets, and other elements of research, such as RFP documents and proposals to be sent out to research vendors; 

  • Overseeing our systems for coordinating with and managing external vendors to execute projects;  

  • Managing the research team (and at times directly leading) in crafting survey instruments, focus groups guides, in-depth interview scripts to explore complex and applied political subjects related to Americans’ attitudes, beliefs, identities, and perceptions of themselves and others; 

  • Overseeing the administration of live online research communities and synching such research with our quantitative, behavioural, and other research streams;  

  • Processing large amounts of qualitative data and identifying areas for further investigation or exploration in quantitative instruments; 

  • Analyzing quantitative data, including by generating crosstabs, indices, and other metrics to classify respondents in original and useful ways; and, 

  • Developing interesting insights into written analyses and data visualizations.  

Research Team Leadership 

Lead the growth and development of More in Common’s research team, including by: 

  • Managing individual and research team growth plans that include trainings, workshops, and other experiences to grow our capabilities in critical skills and areas;  

  • Managing our process for engaging research fellows, consultants, and academic partners/cohorts;  

  • Managing hiring processes for research team roles;  

  • Shaping research team culture and processes to best reflect More in Common’s values; and,  

  • Overseeing capacity considerations to avoid burnout, enable team members to engage in a diverse set of projects, and to grow overall individual and collective capacity.  

Presentation and Application  

Collaborate with the broader US team to communicate findings, including by: 

  • Contributing to the development of communications strategies that will engage national and local media; 

  • Coordinating to develop presentations of our research to partners, funders, think tanks, media, and international audiences;  

  • Representing research findings and implications in media interviews;  

  • Assisting with the integration of research findings into workshops and other exercises; and, 

  • Engaging in conversations about how findings can be interpreted to advance strategic challenges and organizational activities in the United States.  

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE  

We look for great people before we look for specific qualifications and experience. However, the following will be an asset for this role: 

  • Either a PhD in a relevant field OR  

  • 8+ years’ professional experience that involves rigorous research, including qualitative and quantitative tests and analysis, and external engagement – e.g. political polling, market research, management consulting, policy analysis, or other similar work;  

  • Comfort navigating spreadsheets and converting data into presentation material 

  • Experience with statistical programs (e.g. SPSS, R) and qualitative software (e.g. Dedoose, NVivo)  

  • Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting to a range of audiences 

  • Comfortable working collaboratively with a wide range of partners from across the ideological spectrum from inception through to project delivery and evaluation 

  • Demonstrated curiosity for understanding and engaging people and a desire to tell new stories where more Americans feel a part of our shared national project 

COMPENSATION 

  • Competitive starting salary (between $95,000 and $100,000) and excellent benefits including generous leave policy, matching 401(k), and medical.   

  • Personal learning and growth budget   

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND PROCESS 

Applications should include a cover letter (max 1 page) and a resume.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Application process is below:  

  • Initial conversation with a More in Common Team Member 

  • First interview with a set of More in Common Team Members 

  • Complete a Research Exercise 

  • Final Interview with More in Common Team Members 

  • (Potential reference check as well) 

 

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